DarterBlue2

Lots of good spreadsheet videos on the internet (You Tube). The better ones are way better than using the help function in the software.

Two possible fixes. In the case of Bartram Trail, I think it should be 1 state final appearance. Also, regarding Wakulla, didn't they make the title game twice (against Norland and Bishop Moore)?

Both. I also agree that Florida Universities need to do a better job keeping some of the talent here from leaving.

I think I see a trend, here!

Stay tuned for Tuesday. That will be an important test. I believe UCF for the second year takes down a big SEC team. LSU does not even have their heads in the game and I think they offense is going to get exposed!

I pretty much agree with all you said above. Unfortunately, it is not just in sports, but in the entire society we seem to be going further down the road of the haves and have nots. This is not a sustainable recipe and will eventually lead to apathy and ultimately serious social unrest. Stay tuned ...

But in several games, they scored a lot of points. If the defense wasn't Swiss cheese, they may have had a winning record.

While recruiting is very important, as Deerfield Beach has shown time and again at the high school level, while it is necessary it is not sufficient. Coaching and the overall culture that permeates the program are just as important as the right talent!

Back at you, man!

I would be satisfied with one four star and two three stars! Could work wonders with that

You are right. He could have gone to Vanguard or North Marion, or maybe one of the Gainesville schools. Kudos to him!

50,000 for all our games combined would be great attendance! Not sure we ever got to that number even when attendance was much better than recently.

All of the above affect a program's ability to be good. Also, not having an administration that is interested in sports leads kids to either transfer elsewhere or just not suit up at all. Both Evans and Winter Springs have suffered to a degree from both sets of circumstances. They both need a catalyst to get back on track.

It is sad to see Evans and Winter Springs on the list. Both of these programs have been good in the past. Evans back in the 1990s and the first two years of the new century were actually one of the best teams in the Orlando area. Winter Springs have made the playoffs and won playoff games. WS was hurt, to some extent, by rezoning due to new schools and the loss of what had been a good staff. Evans was hurt (and continues to be), by the loss of talent to other schools in West Orange County. This has been exacerbated by unfriendly school administrations to sports and by, up to the last two years, strength in the soccer program (the large Caribbean influence at the school). Contrast the above two with: Cypress Creek, Celebration, Colonial, Poinciana, etc, which have never been really good.

Sorry for the loss of Merritt. Great coach. I wish him every success.

Based on its administration (former APK) and location, I think Windermere will be fine in two to four years. Not saying they will begin making deep playoff runs at that point but should start accumulating winning seasons.

VeniceIndian football is a troll! He shoots stuff off just for the sake ...

The schools are next door to each other. Need I say more?

Try explaining to me, then, why Cypress Creek, which has been consistently been one of the largest public schools in Orlando, has never been able to field a competitive football team. The same could be said for Varela or Coral Reef in Miami-Dade. Not sure about the two Dade teams, but I know that Cypress Creek has had a decent head coach from time to time.

Hagerty actually has a chance. The new HBC was formerly at Oviedo (Hagerty was opened to relieve Oviedo). I could actually see them being competitive in the district with Winter Park. It would not be too much of a stretch.

Very good at soccer. In football, they did have a coach a few years ago, who seemed to be taking them down the right path. Then that ended and they were back to square one ... Celebration is kind of a Disney creation, an upper middle class community. I don't necessarily think the parents want Johnny to get banged up playing football.

Gatorman UF came up with an interesting promotion/demotion system a few years back that made a lot more sense to me if the true purpose was to level the playing field. The large number of Dade 8a and 7a schools bailing for independent status this go around is testimony to the fact that size does not provide a solution to lack of talent. Cypress Creek and a few other schools in Orlando back this point up. A school with 4,000+ kids may be totally unable to field a competitive football team based on a variety of factors of which ethnicity and culture, as well as innate talent, are only two of the variables.

It's not clear to me that there is any difference among the four highest classes when it comes to the overall quality of the football. So this may render the topic moot. For example, if we picked the four highest class state champions this year (or any other recent year for that matter) and runners up, eight teams in all, and put them in a playoff bracket, it is not at all clear to me that the finalist would be correlated by current classification. I do agree that generally, not always, the three smallest classes are somewhat behind the bigger schools. 4a, I am not sure about. I think it varies from year to year.

Sorry that the lives of two young men were snuffed out so soon. Each day we wake up alive is a blessing. It is something we should constantly give thanks for.

Mandarin will probably be back in the Region 1 final. With Beck back for his senior season, I would be surprised if he does not have a solid receiver corps around him.